this year that number is expected to rise to as much as 40%, and today when michelle obama goes out to the university of northern iowa, she will be giving a speech, but it's not just a speech, she is also be asking the supporters there to cast their votes nearly on the spot. there's a polling place just a few steps away. >> all right. peter alexander, thank you. >>> for more on this week's events on the campaign trail, we eco-eel look ahead to next week's first debate. tom brokaw is here, david gregory, mott railer of "meet the dress" and chuck todd, the nbc chief white house correspondent. too many titles, we're out of time. the president's closing argument. a two-minute ad he put out in a sign of the campaign, a sign of confidence, chuck, we'll start with you? >> we looked and did some of our own polling, did it the last couple of weeks and among people who say they will vote before election day, the president wins 2-1. that's why they are doing it. all about early voting. half of the battleground states, 50% or more of the voters will vote early, florida, colorado, nevada, north car